earthquake [n.]

a sudden violent shaking of the ground as a result of movements within the earth’s crust.

Oxford Dictionaries

volcano [n.]

[pl. volcanoes or volcanos] a mountain or hill having a crater or vent through which lava, rock fragments, hot vapour, and gas are or have been erupted from the earth’s crust.
- from Latin Volcanus ‘Vulcan’, the Roman god of fire.

Oxford Dictionaries

The world is not a stable planet. There is movement and pressure of both the tectonic plates and magma. These lead to two major earth movements that can be, and have been, catastrophic for humanity - earthquakes and volcanoes. They are not a new phenomenon having occurred throughout human history and beyond. They also cause other reactions such as tsunamis and extensive [ash] cloud cover.

This page provides information about both earthquake and volcanic activity, their causes, recent examples of both, famous volcanoes, how activity is recorded and images of both.

The News and Newspapers pages may provide breaking news, events and more in this area.

Earthquakes

Earthquake Images

• Deadly Earthquakes
  Multiple images in galleries related to specific earthquakes.
• Earthquake Images
  A multi-page collection from Science Daily.
• Earthquake Image Archives
  A huge collection covering selected earthquakes in Asia over the last 20 years.
• Great Kanto Earthquake, 1923
  ‘75 years ago, on 1 September 1923, one of the worst earthquakes in world history hit the Kanto plain and destroyed Tokyo, Yokohama and the surroundings. About 140 000 people fell victim to this earthquake and the fires caused by it. The photographs presented in this special online exhibition’ provide images of what happened.

General Sites

• Earth Alerts
  ‘Windows-based application that provides alert notifications, reports, and imagery on all types of natural phenomenon that are occurring real-time worldwide’. Broadband is recommended for effective use.
• Earthquake
  Naturally occurring earthquakes, size and frequency, induced seismicity, measuring and locating earthquakes, preparation, history, earthquakes in culture, references, links. From Wikipedia.
• Earthquake Data
  Significant Earthquake Database, Earthquake Intensity Database Image Database, other technical information.
• Earthquake Preparation
  How to cope with an earthquake wherever you are.
• Earthquake Research and News
  Earthquakes, where they’re happening, what they’re doing to local areas, how people are finding out about them.
• Earthquakes
  Introduction, earthquakes in history, where earthquakes occur, how earthquakes happen, measuring earthquakes, volcanoes and earthquakes, predicting earthquakes, more. USGS.
• Earthquakes & Volcanoes
  Reports and information listed under both. Includes news, research and a database.
• Earthquake Topics
  Alphabetical listing from Basics to Tsunamis. From the USGS. Quality information.
• Earthquakes for Kids
  12 directories including Earthquake ABC, Cool Facts, Animations, Puzzles & Games, Ask a Geologist, The Science of Earthquakes, Latest Quakes, more. USGS.
• Education and Outreach
  ‘Six Categories Offer Resources for All Levels’. Exploring Earthquakes, Teaching about Earthquakes, Learning Opportunities, Outreach, Products, Professional.
• EQ Net
  Earthquake Information Network. Current earthquakes, links, disaster management, curriculum materials, search facility, seismology, … .
• Geology - Free Teaching and Learning Resources
  40 Geology resources including a section on The Earthquake Hazards Program. There are also links to a range of other Science areas and resources.
• Geology For Kids - By KidsGeo.com
  ‘An indepth online geology textbook written for kids. Learn about the world beneath you. Geology is the study of the Earth’s surface and substructure. Geologists look at the processes that form terrain, and the processes that destroy terrian’. Several sections, one of which covers earthquakes, tectonic plates and volcanoes.
• Historical Earthquakes
  Images, photographs, information.
• Historic World Earthquakes
  ‘Selected earthquakes of general historic interest’. Find by date, specific US earthquakes, or sorted by different criteria.
• How Earthquakes Work
  ‘Find what causes earthquakes, and why they can have devastating effects on us’.
• Quake Triggers
  Interactive map showing ‘Triggers for the Past Day, Week, Month’.
• Recent Earthquakes
  A listing of recent earthquakes as measured by Geoscience Australia. Includes some in Australia.
• RSOE EDIS
  ‘The EDIS website provides useful information regarding emergency situations and their prevention. Extraordinary events happening [around] the World are being monitored 24 hours per day’. See these in different zones of the world on Google maps with pop-up information.
• Seismic Monitor
  See where and how bad.
• The Severity of an Earthquake
  Information including the Richter Magnitude Scale, Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, more.
• The World-Wide Earthquake Locator
  ‘Aims to provide up-to-date information and detailed dynamic maps of earthquakes across the world within a maximum of 24 hours of their occurence. This web site also includes a database of past earthquakes, an animation of the past month’s earthquakes, and statistical earthquake prediction’.
• Virtual Earthquake
  ‘An interactive Web-based activity designed to introduce you to the concepts of how an earthquake EPICENTRE is located and how the RICHTER MAGNITUDE of an earthquake is determined’. California State University.

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Plate Tectonics

• Mountain Maker, Earth Shaker
  Information related to plate tectonics - building mountains, volcanoes, changing the sea floor. PBS America.
• Plate Tectonics
  ‘Explains the history of our new understanding of the Earth and provides a brief overview of the theories behind it’. Videos, animations, links to other sites.
• Plate Tectonics [2]
  ‘A fascinating story of continents drifting majestically from place to place breaking apart, colliding, grinding against each other. Plate Tectonics describes the intricate design of a complex, living planet in a state of dynamic flux’.
• Plate Tectonics [National Geographic]
  ‘Moving and Shaking’. A short article from National Geographic.
• Plate Tectonics, the Cause of Earthquakes
  Information, graphics, diagrams.
• Understanding Plate Motions
  ‘Scientists now have a fairly good understanding of how the plates move and how such movements relate to earthquake activity’. Information from the US Geological Survey.

Preparing for Natural Disasters

• Kids : Ready.gov
  ‘Click on these easy steps, talk to your family, and make a plan and put it in a safe place. When you’re all through, you’ll be ready to graduate from Readiness U !’
• Safety Insurance : Preparing for Natural Disasters and Weather Emergencies
  ‘Natural disasters are the effect of natural hazards, such as avalanches, blizzards, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and wildfires.’. This page provides links for each topic that will help you prepare effectively for what might happen.

Software

• Earthquake Watch
  ‘Provides a way to learn about the quakes that happen in your neighbourhood and all over the world, almost instantly’. Free Software.
• Understanding Earthquakes
• USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
  ‘Information on worldwide earthquake activity, earthquake science, earthquake hazard reduction’.

Specific Sites

• Largest Earthquakes in the World
• Poynter Online - Earthquakes [1995-2004]
  ‘Resources about major earthquakes from 1995-2004. During this period the Web became an important medium for sharing disaster related news’.

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Volcanoes

General Information

• Forces of Nature - Volcanoes
  National Geographic. Interactive site [Flash required]. Select Volcanoes from the options at the top, left. Other forces include Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Earthquakes.
• Global Volcanism Program - Volcanoes of the World
  ‘The data presented in this section have been compiled by Smithsonian volcanologists over the past three decades and represent an updated electronic version of Volcanoes of the World [Simkin and Siebert, 1994]. The volcano and eruption data are freely available, although users are strongly cautioned to consider the many uncertainties discussed under Frequently Asked Questions and Data Criteria pages’. Includes search [by different options], volcano lists, maps, photo galleries and other data.
• How Volcanoes Work
  Sponsored by NASA. Delves into the science behind volcanic activity and how volcanic processes actually work.
• Scientific Classification of Lava
  ‘Learning more about the science of lava doesn’t necessarily make it any less dangerous, but it reveals that the subject truly can be rather fascinating’. Suite101^®.
• Types of Volcanoes
  One of a sequence of pages about volcanoes and volcanic data. All are accessible from the bottom of this page.
• Virtual Volcano Fieldtrips
  ‘Join the VW team along with volcanologists and adventurers from around the world as they explore and photograph the worlds volcanic centres’.
• Volcanic Violence
  Mt St Helens, how volcanoes work, predicting explosions, volcanic landscapes, ultimate volcano, after an eruption, the youngest mountain.
• Volcano Data
  Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database, Volcano Location Database, Volcano Images, Volcanic Ash Advisory Database, other information.
• Volcanoes and Volcanic Eruptions
  Listed under Popular and Newest Items. Extensive range. From Geology.com.
• Volcano Explorer
  Play the game from Discovery Kids. ‘Volcanoes are pressure valves that release energy from deep within the earth. They are spectacular reminders of the dynamic forces that continually shape our planet’.
• Volcano Facts for Kids
  ‘Learn About the Ring of Fire and More ! The word volcano originates from Vulcan, the name of the Roman God of fire. Volcanoes are typically located at the meeting point of tectonic plates. The hot liquid rock located under the surface of the Earth is called magma. Once it comes out of a volcano it is called lava. There are very big volcanoes on Earth but the largest volcano known in the solar system is on Mars’.
• Volcano Live
  Fantastic photos of volcanoes in action, educational information, FAQs.
• Volcano News
  Latest news about volcanoes, eruptions and their impact on the world.
• Volcano Webcams
  Links to a range of these around the world.
• Volcano World
  Volcanoes around the world - even in Australia [Earth’s Volcanoes/Australia].

Magma

• Basalt and Granite
  Briefly covers their relationship to magma.
• Magma
  Source, evolution, migration, cooling of magmas, composition, melt structure and properties, references. From Wikipedia.
• Magma [2]
  Fairly short article with embedded links to expansions about specific aspects.
• Magmas, Igneous Rocks, Volcanoes and Plutons
  Kinds of Igneous rocks, Types of Magma, Eruption of Magma, Origin of Magma, Magmatic differentiation, Basaltic magma, Granitic magma, Andesitic magma, more.
• Origin of Basaltic Magma
  Graphic intensive presentation.
• Plate Tectonics and the Formation of Magma
  Point form information with some embedded links.
• Principal Types of Magma-controlling Structures and Magmatic Formations
  Article from the International Geology Review. There is a PDF download of the article.
• Types of Magma
  Basic tabular presentation of characteristics of the three main types of magma. From New Zealand.
• Volcanoes, Magma and Volcanic Eruptions
  ‘Since volcanic eruptions are caused by magma [a mixture of liquid rock, crystals, and dissolved gas] expelled onto the Earth’s surface, we must first discuss the characteristics of magma and how magmas form in the Earth’. Tertiary course component.

“Ring of Fire”

The Pacific Ring of Fire [or sometimes just the Ring of Fire] is an area where large numbers of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of the Pacific Ocean - Wikipedia.

• Pacific Ring of Fire
  Chile, Mexico, US, Canada, Russia, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand, Antarctica, Land areas in the ring, other references and links. From Wikipedia.
• Pacific Ring of Fire [2]
  New Zealand article which forms part of a series on Volcanoes.
• Plate Tectonics and the Ring of Fire
  A TeacherTube video presentation [7m 16s].
• Ring of Fire - Pacific
  ‘The Ring of Fire is a zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that encircles the basin of the Pacific Ocean. It is shaped like a horseshoe and it is 40 000 km long’.
• Ring of Fire, Plate Tectonics, …
  Information and maps from the USGS.
• Ring of Fire Volcanoes
  Map and brief article.
• Understanding Volcanoes : The Ring of Fire
  Watch this video from the Discovery Channel.
• Volcanoes and The Ring Of Fire
  An Internet WebQuest. From WebQuest Science. Includes extensive list of resources [sites].
• Volcanoes : The Ring of Fire
  Extensive information, media, interactive activities and more. A Thinkquest presentation.

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Specific Volcanoes

• Craters of The Moon
  Idaho, USA. links to information, images, data.
• Krakatau, Sunda Strait, Indonesia
  Eruptive history, graphics, other information, The Legend and The Child.
• Lord Howe Island [Ball’s Pyramid]
  Extinct volcano that is part of Australia.
• Mauna Loa
  ‘The largest volcano on earth’. Hawaii. Information, images, history, more.
• Mount Etna
  Information, images. The volcano is found in Sicily and is active.
• Mount Erebus
  An Antarctic volcano.
• Mount St. Helens
  Oregon, USA. Erupts quite regularly. Information, including movies.
• Paricutin Mountain
  Mexico. Only in existence since 1943.
• Volcano Index
  Huge alphabetical listing of individual volcanoes, volcanic areas around the world.
• Volcanic Violence
  What they are, how they are created. Based on Mt St Helens.

Volcano Images

• Images
  From Geonet NZ. ‘The following animations [mpegs] and images have all been collected from our volcano cameras’.
• Images from the Volcano Hazards Program
  ‘Each observatory collects and archives their own images. Below is a list of image archives on the observatory sites’.
• Science Images
  A collection of Volcano Images from Science Daily.
• SSEC - Volcano Watch Satellite Images
  ‘These satellite images show some of the world’s most active volcanoes. Additional volcano information can be obtained from the Michigan Tech Geology Department. The Java animations below contain the last four satellite images’.
• Volcano Images Page
  Images are listed in groups under Volcano Classifications, Types of Eruptions, Volcano Deposits, Scales of Impact, Volcanic Hazards and other resources.
• Volcano Photo Gallery
  ‘A collection of [mostly] volcano photography’. Includes geographic and thematics lists.
• Volcano Pictures - National Geographic Kids
  View the pictures and read the brief descriptions. Links to other National Geographic areas and activities.

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